संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2399 of 4582

Abhanga 2399

For today: this world is a temporary inn — udāsīna toward body; quickly cross to the next; drama-performance carries the affair — no extreme attachment ; expense on sanchita — who takes greed.

When you feel trapped by a role you play every day, like parent, employee, or head of household.

When you're gripping tightly to possessions or status that came to you through luck or inheritance.

When you need to get through your obligations without losing yourself inside them.

The verse

येहलोकीं आम्हां वस्तीचें पेणें । उदासीन तेणें देहभावीं ॥१॥ कार्यापुरतें कारण मारगीं । उलंघूनि वेगीं जावें स्थळा ॥ध्रु.॥ सोंगसंपादणी चालवितों वेव्हार । अत्यंतिक आदर नाहीं गोवा ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे वेंच लाविला संचिता । होइल घेतां लोभ कोणां ॥३॥

Literal translation

In this world, our dwelling is a temporary stay — udāsīna toward body-feeling. Only the cause needed on the path — quickly cross to the [next] place. Drama-performance carries the affair — no extreme attachment, no entanglement. Tuka says: expense placed on sanchita — who'd take greed in this.

What it means

THE LIFE-AS-TEMPORARY-INN + DRAMA-PERFORMANCE ABHANG. One of Tukārām's most-celebrated non-attachment images.

THE TEMPORARY-INN: yēhalōkīm āmhām vastīchē pēṇē — udāsīna tēṇē dēha-bhāvīm — in this world our dwelling is a temporary stay — udāsīna toward body-feeling. Pēṇē = resting-place, temporary inn for travelers. In-this-world our-dwelling is-a-temporary-inn; udāsīna (indifferent) toward body-feeling. Life-as-overnight-pēṇē — the traveler stays only-briefly before-resuming-the-journey.

The quick-crossing: kāryāpuratē kāraṇa māragīm — ulanghūni vēgīm jāvē sthaḷā — only the cause needed on the path — quickly cross to the place. Only-the-cause-needed (for-the-journey); quickly-cross to-the-next-place.

THE DRAMA-PERFORMANCE: sōnga-sampādaṇī chālavitōm vēvhāra — atyantika ādara nāhīm gōvā — drama-performance carries the affair — no extreme attachment, no entanglement. Sōnga = role, costume, dramatic-part. Drama-role-performance (sōnga-sampādaṇī) carries-the-affair (vēvhāra = householder-life); no-extreme-attachment, no-entanglement. Life-as-theatre — the bhakta plays-the-householder-role without-identifying-with-it.

The teaching: Live-the-householder-life like-a-traveler-at-an-inn or-an-actor-in-a-play — present but non-attached, performing the duties without entanglement.

[T]

For someone today

For today: this world is a temporary inn — udāsīna toward body; quickly cross to the next; drama-performance carries the affair — no extreme attachment ; expense on sanchita — who takes greed.

Where this applies

When you're anxious about permanence, a job, a house, a relationship, and need reminding that you're only passing through.
When you're worn out from playing a family or work role and start believing that role is who you truly are.
When you notice you've grown possessive or greedy about things that came to you by chance or fate.
When you want to do your duties fully without becoming emotionally entangled in the outcome.

Nāma (the Name) Bhakti